Dr. Drews Heros

Dear Patients,

Today I want to share some of my heros.  I have many heros in my life.  The first one of course is our older brother Jesus Christ.  I can not begin to explain how much he means to me.  I am grateful for his sacrifice so that I can live with him again.  I am thankful for being forgiving, because everyone knows how much I mess up.  I am thankful for his gospel and his love.

My second heros are none other than my parents.  I am thankful for the parents that my Heavenly Father sent me to.  My dad is the most compassionate man alive.  I joke with him about how he loves Peter more (if you know my family you will know what I mean haha) , but i know that he loves me just as much.  My mother is the hardest worker  I know.  When I hear the country song "I thouhgt I was tough" I think of her.  I am amazed at how much she does for all of her children.  She will go days without sleep just so she can work extra shifts so we can have what we want.  She has an unselfish love that cannot be matched by any other person but Christ.  

My brothers and sisters are also my heros.  Heather will give all she has to help her family.  It makes me very angry when people think of her as adopted.  SHE IS MY SISTER.  I love her just as much as any other sibling and she is one of us.  I know that she was supposed to come to our family.  LaNelle is like my other Mom what more can I say... she is amazing and has a love like no other.. The children that come to her family will be the most blessed children ever.  Peter is truly my best friend.  we talk about anything and everything.  He is the muscle behind my talk.  He is freakin huge.  He has a testimony of the church and he is not afraid to tell someone about it.  Patti is amazing also.  She is so caring about everyone.  I can not wait until I get to be out with her in Idaho.  She is an example to me and pushes through all of the challenges that life gives her.  J Con, aka JO JO aka, jose, aka connor is the man.  He is the sweetest child ever.  The other night I said I felt like I was going to throw up and immediately he jumped up and got a trash can and put it by my bed.  Sarah Beth aka tubbs is so so so funny.  She puts me in my place everyday.  She likes to eat just like me and you can find me and her eating cookie dough on the couch pretty much all day haha.  

My cousins amaze me.  I love all of them.  The Edwards have always been there and are so strong in the church which is an example to me.  The Coombs are the strongest kids i ever met and they make you laugh by their funny jokes.  Katie is so so so sweet.  I love her so much.  She is so kind and I love the times we spend together.

My Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles are my heros too.  I love each and everyone of them for the things that they do for me.

Two heros I want to mention are very special to me.  I will not mention there names but if you read this you will most likely figure out who they are.  This couple is so sweet.  They are always there to give and give and give.  They have given me so much as I have grown up.  They have given me employment opportunities, chances for education, and spiritual enlightenment.  Without this couple I dont know where I would be.  They are loved by everyone and they treat others as they would like to be treated.  One of them is truly an "Iron man" and the other is superwoman.  I love my heros.

Patients it is very important to have heros in our lives.  I am thankful for the many heros that I have.  I know that the Lord puts this people into our lives to help us.  I am excited to meet new heros as I go on through this journey called Life.  I am thankful for the examples I have in my life.  The proscription that I give today is simple.  Think about the heros in your own life, and then seek to be a hero for someone else.  

Well the Advice is in and the Doctor is out.

Sincerely

Dr. Drew

Reflection Time with Dr. Drew

Dear Fellow Patients,

I know that it has been a while since my last letter.  I have been trying to think of something to write that would delight my patients.  Today as I was reading a church conference talk I knew what my next subject to address would be.  So here it is, I hope that yall with enjoy this as much as I enjoy yall.

I would like to talk about a subject that is very close to my heart.  It is a subject that is probably close to many of my patients hearts as well.  The subject is Missionary work. Missionary work has been a huge part of my life.  My family is a group of converts.  I am very thankful for the missionaries that taught my family the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  As a young boy I decided that serving a mission was something that I longed for.  For those who are not of my faith let me first explain what a mission is.  In our church young men and women have the opportunity to serve a mission for our church.  For young men they can go when they turn 19 and serve for two years.  For young women they can go when they turn 21 and serve for a year and a half.  You are told where you will be serving and it can be anywhere in the world speaking any language. So now that we have that settled lets return to memory lane.  From a very early age I can remember the feeling of excitement when I thought about serving a mission.  I remember watching the missionaries in my ward, and dreaming of the day that I would get to wear a name tag.

As I started to get older this dream started to get closer and closer.  Once I graduated high school I felt like my dream was oh so close.  I had a countdown of when I could submit my mission papers and I prayed that it would come quickly.  

On December 12th 2006 I submitted my missionary papers.  I remember walking out of the Stake President's office with joy in my heart.  On December 29th 2006 I received my missionary call.  With my family all around me I announced that I would be serving in the Oregon Eugene Mission.  I also learned that I would be required to learn the Spanish language.  What joy I felt that day.  I remember going to sleep that night and feeling so close the the prophet of the church who had issued my call.  

On April 4th 2007 I entered the Missionary Training Center.  I said my goodbyes to friends, family including one of the missionaries who baptized my mother.  I remember the feeling of sadness I had when I left them behind, but I also remember the immediate joy as I walked down the stairs with all the new missionaries.

My dream had come true.  I was a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Shortly after entering the MTC I began to feel unworthy of being there.  I thought that I was not good enough to have the blessing of serving the Lord.  I decided that I would talk to my Branch President.  As I talked to him he smiled and said, "Elder you have told me everything about your life and I know that you are worthy to be here, and if I was a mission president  I would love to have you as one of my missionaries."  I felt better.  I felt happy again.  Then not long after the same feeling returned.  It got so bad that I could not eat and it was hard to sleep at night.  I was constantly worrying about my worthiness.  I went to the District President.  He told me to talk to him about everything I though I had ever done wrong.   I talked to him about everything that I had done wrong since I could first remember.  He told me the same thing my Branch President told me.  The feeling would not go away though.  I had to return home because  I had made myself sick because I worried too much.

My dream was gone.  I remember the sad feeling I had as I approached my father at the airport.  For months I struggled with being home.  I was scared of what people thought, and how they judged me.

I still hurt when I see pictures of missionaries, because I wish I had the chance to serve for two years.  I know now that it was not my fault and that I can be a missionary all of my life.  I am thankful for the roommates that I had out in Idaho that helped me realize this.  I am thankful for a loving Bishop that called me to be his secretary, because this gave me an opportunity to serve and learn about the church.  I know that the Lord lives, and that he has a plan for each of us.  I know that missionary work is very important in our lives.  I know that the restored church of Jesus Christ is on the earth today.  I am grateful for the opportunity I had to learn the Spanish Language.  I would like to bear my testimony in Spanish. I do not know how to do accent marks on the computer so please forgive me.  Se que JesuCristo vive. creo en el Libro de Mormon. Estoy agradecido por mi familia.  Jose smith fue y es un profeta de dios.  creo en el poder de oracion. En el nombre de JesuCristo amen.

I know that this post is not usual for Dr. Drew but I felt like sharing this. 

thanks

Dr. Drew